1. Field of the Invention
This invention most generally relates to a two part device to fasten together a plurality of sheets of materials, such as for example paper, which may have but need not have previously made holes in them. The device is composed of plastic, metal or other similar material which is resilient but form retaining. The concept used to provide the snap fastening feature is the deformation of an ellipse or oval into a circle when the stud/male component of the fastener is pressed into the socket/female component which component has an elliptically shaped or oval shaped opening until the fastener is used. The closing of the fastener causes the deformation of the ellipse/oval into an approximate circle and the stresses created provide the forces necessary to keep the fastener securely together providing the means for holding together the articles being attached to each other such as for example papers, items of fabric, shoe-top parts, etc.. The stud and socket components may be adapted to have a plurality of interengagement discs on the stud component and at least one recess within the aperture of the socket component which recess cooperates with one of the discs of the stud component to result in the interengagement of the two components when the stud component is inserted into the socket component aperture. Where there is more than one recess in the aperture of the socket component each of the recesses may interengage with one of the discs of the stud component. The resulting interengagement will be adjustable in that the stud portion will be more or less into the aperture and as the number of disc/recess interengagements increases so do the security of the connection of the two components increase. There may also be two "stud components" which may be connected together end-to-end using a socket component adapted to interengage with each of the two stud components. The end-to-end interengagement may be made and released by the one hand deformation of the socket component-that is the changing of the aperture from ellipse to oval by squeezing parallel to the major axis and then releasing allowing the aperture to tend toward an elliptical shape which results in the engagement of the two stud components. Release is accomplished by simply squeezing along the major axis causing deformation of the aperture to the circular/oval cross section allowing the dissengagement of the stud components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Presently there is nothing available that permits the attachment of two components and the release of such attached components both steps being achievable using the squeezing or pinching forces on only the periphery of a so called socket component and exertable with the use of one hand; more specifically the use of the fingers of one hand. The invention disclosed herein is based upon the deformation by a substantially cylindrical shaped member of an oval or elliptically cross-sectioned aperture which results in forces, due to the deformation and due to the characteristics of the material in which the aperture in located, which cause two components, a stud component and a socket component, to interengage and the interengagement can be caused to be released by the simple squeezing or pinching of only the socket component using the fingers of one hand. In contrast, the prior art devices require pressure in the direction which is opposite to the direction of the insertion force and very importantly they require access to both components used in the clamping system. The fastener of the instant invention can thus be engaged and disengaged having access to only the socket component.
The following United States Patents have been reviewed relative to the invention disclosed and claimed herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,530,550 to White discloses a clamp composed of mating discs for engaging pliant sheet material, such as for fastening baby diapers without the use of pins or the like, and interengaging members provided on the discs for holding them together until released by pressure. An interconnecting flexible strap holds the discs together when they are not in clamping engagement. The opposed mating discs are frictionally held together when in clamping position and released by finger and thumb pressure of the user in a direction along the aperture axis. White relies on the material characteristics to provide the means for disengagement of 22 from 26.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,516 to Ackermann et al, teaches a snap-fastener comprising stud and socket components. This invention teaches the notion of placing a pliant substrate of material in such a position so that when the stud and socket components are closed they "pinch" the material therebetween.
The U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,626,955 to Greenwood; 1,276,030 to Adler; 3,039,471 to Church; 2,583,224 to McDonald; and 2,590,175 to Hajdu were also reviewed.
The present invention as disclosed and claimed herein has clear and unobvious advantages over all of the prior art known to the Applicant.